Local man runs from couch to marathon

COUCH TO MARATHON

Photo by Jennifer Bowman

Peter Ryback started running three years ago at the age of 60. He shows off the medals he won in various races, including the most recent, the Race Around the Bay in Hamilton. Ryback has run one marathon and plans to run two more this summer, including the New York Marathon.

IN TRAINING

Photo by Jennifer Bowman

Peter Ryback is part of Muskoka Athletic Performance, a group run by Muskoka Fitness. Ryback said running with the group helped him cut half an hour from his running time at the Race Around the Bay in Hamilton this year from last year’s time.

BRACEBRIDGE — At 60 years old his only exercise was walking. Now, three years later, he’s headed to the New York Marathon with his eyes on the Boston Marathon.
Peter Ryback started running when he felt like his six- to 12-kilometre daily walks weren’t cutting it anymore.
“When I joined the group at that particular point, my goal then was a 10k run,” he said.
Later he joined a running group through Muskoka Fitness. The head of the running group suggested he do a half marathon. He thought she was crazy.
“A half marathon is way up there, and a 10k is — I thought that’s what I was capable of,” he said.
He trained for the 10-kilometre run, which he said was very similar to training for a half marathon. He ran the 10-kilometre race.
Four weeks later, he ran his first half marathon in Ottawa.
“A lot of it was believing in yourself, believing that you could do it, having a group you could use for support,” said Ryback.
That was only the beginning of his journey. He has since run a marathon and has two more in his sights — one in May and one in November.
Running well in either of the marathons could qualify him for Boston. While that’s what he’s hoping for, it’s not his primary goal.
“Yes, I would like to do well, but I think my primary focus in New York is to enjoy the race, and of course finish healthy and standing,” he said.
To qualify for Boston, he has to run the marathon in less than three hours and 55 minutes. His qualification time for the New York Marathon was his personal best at one hour 47 minutes 43 seconds at a half marathon in Vancouver.
Ryback’s most recent race was in March when he ran the Around the Bay race in Hamilton.
He dropped his time half an hour from last year’s race, finishing in two hours 44 minutes, 21 seconds.
“I felt stronger, more confident, faster, and right from the get-go, boom! I cut the time,” he said.
He said there are a lot of the barriers to running at this level. One of the biggest, he said, is time management and finding the time to train.
“It’s something I really want to do, so I prioritize,” he said.
He said training in Muskoka’s hills helped.
He also gives credit for his success to Muskoka Athletic Performance, a program run through Muskoka Fitness.
The program began six months ago as a way for athletes and beginners to increase their fitness levels. They run together, cycle together and sign up for long-distance races together.
“If I would’ve continued running alone, I don’t think I would’ve got much past the 10k,” he said.
“Since I’ve joined the running group here, I’ve lost track of the number of races,” Ryback said. “I’ve gone essentially from being a non-runner to one who’s completed a marathon, and I’m looking at two more marathons this year.”